New tourniquet data out of TX

Andrew D. Fisher

Medical Guy
Staff member
Moderator
Increased survival with no significant difference in amputations.

Background
Tourniquet use has been proven to reduce mortality on the battlefield. Although empirically transitioned to the civilian environment, data substantiating survival benefit attributable to civilian tourniquet use is lacking. We hypothesized that civilian prehospital tourniquet use is associated with reduced mortality in patients with peripheral vascular injuries.
Study Design
We conducted a multicenter retrospective review of all patients sustaining peripheral vascular injuries admitted to 11 Level I trauma centers (January 2011 through December 2016). The study population was divided into 2 groups based on prehospital tourniquet use. Baseline characteristics were compared and factors associated with mortality identified. Logistic regression, adjusting for demographic, physiologic and injury-related parameters, was used to evaluate the association between prehospital tourniquet use and mortality. Delayed amputation was the secondary end point.
Results
During 6 years, 1,026 patients with peripheral vascular injuries were admitted. Prehospital tourniquets were used in 181 (17.6%) patients. Tourniquet time averaged 77.3 ± 63.3 minutes (interquartile range 39.0 to 92.3 minutes). Traumatic amputations occurred in 98 patients (35.7% had a tourniquet). Mortality was 5.2% in the non-tourniquet group compared with 3.9% in the tourniquet group (odds ratio 1.36; 95% CI 0.60 to 1.65; p = 0.452). After multivariable analysis, the use of tourniquets was found to be independently associated with survival (adjusted odds ratio 5.86; 95% CI 1.41 to 24.47; adjusted p = 0.015). Delayed amputation rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups (1.1% vs 1.1%; adjusted odds ratio 1.82; 95% CI 0.36 to 9.99; adjusted p = 0.473).
Conclusions
Although still underused, civilian prehospital tourniquet application was independently associated with a 6-fold mortality reduction in patients with peripheral vascular injuries. More aggressive prehospital application of extremity tourniquets in civilian trauma patients with extremity hemorrhage and traumatic amputation is warranted.

http://www.journalacs.org/article/S1072-7515(18)30101-7/abstract
 

cogt3

Newbie
Quantified Performance
The link to the abstract is at the bottom. I think you have to log in via Science Direct to the full paper. I may be able to put it on the FB group.
I'll have to source it a different way, I'm getting off FB.

Fire me a PM with an email address, I downloaded the article.

Well done study, data is likely valid.

Pretty big variance in TQ use in participating hospitals.
More serverely injured patients where more likely to have TQ applied
No real downside to TQ use, higher rate of clot related disorders but did not lead to worse outcomes.

Will read through it more closely tonight.


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